Idaho State's Herman Smith III transfers to Colorado

Herman Smith made it official and announced he will be Boulder bound next season. The former Idaho State defensive back rejoins Deion Sanders and his staff after being together at Jackson State two years ago. He becomes the 23rd player coming to CU via the transfer portal.

The 6-foot, 200-pound safety was an original three-star recruit from San Diego's Lincoln HS in the 2021 class. Smith decided to commit to JSU over twelve Power Five schools. He racked up 30 tackles, two PDU's, a sack, and INT in 13 games over the past two years. Another athlete with a two-way background, excelling at wide receiver and defensive back. He's reunited in the secondary with Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig, Shilo Sanders, and Travis Hunter.

"Those guys are my brothers," Smith said. "We encourage each other, and we build on one another. But I just gotta keep my 'A' game strong at every moment."

Smith will have a change of scenery coming from Idaho State. He was coached by former Colorado standout Cody Hawkins, who left Boulder as the all-time leading passer before Sefo Liufau shattered a majority of his records. However, he's back with a familiar cast and staff who're ready to hit the ground running.

"It’s definitely going to be a shift in gears, but I’m ready to compete," Smith said. "I'm glad to be back with some of my former coaches and teammates. I'm just ready to show up and show out and prove a lot of people wrong."

Smith becomes the 30th player to commit to Colorado's 2024 combined class, which is ranked 21st overall, according to 247Sports. He's the 13th addition to the Buffaloes defense on the books for next year.